Linden looks to trim $1.35M from schools

Wednesday

Feb 25, 2009 at 12:01 AM

LINDEN - The Linden Unified School District is working to trim $1.35 million out of its $20 million budget, and while the cuts aren't expected to drill as deep in the rural school district as some if its larger San Joaquin County counterparts, layoffs and program cuts loom.

Keith Reid

LINDEN - The Linden Unified School District is working to trim $1.35 million out of its $20 million budget, and while the cuts aren't expected to drill as deep in the rural school district as some if its larger San Joaquin County counterparts, layoffs and program cuts loom.

Superintendent Ron Estes said the district already has cut $350,000 from the current year. Trustees also have approved layoff notices being sent to 9 to 16 of the district's 147 teachers as part of an additional $1 million budget reduction.

While Linden will be able to retain class-size reduction, a staff report shows funding for freshmen sports, adult education programs and scaled-back summer school offerings are on the chopping block. A $100 annual charge for busing students from school to home in the afternoon also is being proposed along with a 5 percent pay cut for district confidential and management employees.

"We've also gotten rid of all cell phones districtwide and company cars, mine included," Estes said, noting that the district's maintenance supervisor will keep his cell phone.

Eliminating cell phone plans and company cars will save the district a combined $6,000, but Estes said he thought it was important to cut back in those areas before proposing layoffs.

Educators had hoped an adopted state budget would bring relief from cost-cutting reforms at local levels. Estes said his staff still is evaluating how the newly adopted budget will affect Linden.

Linden teachers union president Stan Smith did not return phone calls seeking comment Tuesday, but education advocates in California say the pact is not beneficial to schools in regards to budget cuts even though lawmakers have made it easier for districts to shift money between its categorical accounts and the general fund. Categorical money usually must be spent on specific program, such as special education.

"In creating so-called 'flexibility' for school districts ... this provides a tool for administrators to eliminate class-size reduction, adult education, occupational skills, early childhood education, professional development part-time parity pay and other necessary programs," President of the California Federation of Teachers Marty Hittleman said in a written statement.

Estes said he is hopeful the district can work out a plan that will save the proposed teacher layoffs and potentially save some programs. A districtwide pay cut would be the most viable way for the district to do that, he said.

"We're also looking at offering early retirement and using attrition as much as we can to save as many jobs as we can," Estes said.

Contact reporter Keith Reid at (209) 546-8257 or kreid@recordnet.com.

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